STA ENGAGES THE BSI
17.02.2005
A NEW PUBLICLY AVAILABLE SPECIFICATION FOR UK SWIM SCHOOLS
The Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) has engaged the British Standards Institute (BSI) to develop a Publicly Available Specification (PAS) for UK Swim Schools.
The PAS will build on the STA’s successful accreditation quality assurance programme, STAmark that was developed to improve the quality of service standards and the recognition of good industry practice within the UK SwimSchool market. The initiative is aimed at building industry consensus on standards through the development of an industry norm that recognises the best interests of swimmers.
Currently, with no national guidelines or government regulations in place to determine or control the establishment, or operation of Swim Schools, the introduction of the PAS framework will provide the necessary guidelines to ensure that the industry maintains high standards and vital safety procedures.
Roger Millward, Chief Executive of the STA, said: “The creation of a PAS is aimed at addressing the current lack of guidance for independent UK Swim Schools. Adherence to the new PAS guidelines, which we expect will receive wide acceptance, can only benefit all concerned by creating improvements and uniformity throughout the industry.”
“It is imperative that the timing for developing a PAS specifically for UK SwimSchools is progressed now. Although there is no national register, we estimate that there is currently between 2000 and 3000 independent SwimSchools currently operating in the UK, and we expect this figure to grow even further.” Roger explains; “School swimming is only compulsory at Key Stage 1 and 2, therefore parents are now the main driver in making sure that their children learn how to swim. As a consequence, local authority pools now have even longer waiting lists for their already overcrowded swim classes, which in turn have sustained the growth of the private SwimSchool market.”
The first stage for developing the PAS will commence in February 2005, and aims to capture and impart knowledge across the sector, sharing best practice and gaining acceptance through consensus. To gauge its performance and usefulness, the PAS will undergo a review process after twelve months, after which, any improvements identified will be reported back to the steering group with recommendations.
It is anticipated that the establishment of the PAS will eventually lead to the licensing of UK Swim Schools and providers of swimming tuition. However, BSI, the company that will manage the standardisation process, will only endorse the new document if it truly reflects a fair representation across the industry. To achieve this and establish the document’s credibility, industry experts and leaders will be integral to the consultation process.
PAS will further endorse the strength of the STAmark quality assurance award, which already has the backing of the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management (ILAM).
In addition, membership to the National Federation of Swim Schools (NFS), which was established by the STA in 2004 to represent the sole interests of UK SwimSchools, will continue to provide the important interchange of ideas to help improve standards of operation. Members of the NFS are encouraged to commit to STAmark accreditation to ensure the highest standards are met and maintained.
For further information, please contact the STA on 01922 645097 or email sta@sta.co.uk, or visit www.nfs.co.uk.
EDITORS’ NOTES
The Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) is an international education charity that is “dedicated to the preservation of human life by the teaching of swimming, lifesaving and survival techniques". The STA has over 5,000 members and is the only awarding body to have Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) approval for both its NARS Lifeguarding / Lifesaving and First Aid awards, and Swimming Teaching Certificates.
STAmark
STAmark has been developed by the STA as a Quality Award to help SwimSchools, and similar organisations that teach swimming, to improve the quality of service standards and to recognise good industry practice. It is the only nationally recognised quality mark that externally validates and recognises safe practices and standards in SwimSchools and similar operations.
STAmark has a much stronger bias towards safety and recognition of how effective and efficient the Swim School is, in managing its business, although there is a clear focus on assessing the range, scope and quality of the organisations Teaching Programmes and their respective learning outcomes. There is also recognition given to other none STA Teaching qualifications and awards that are nationally recognised and consideration is given to any external award(s) that the respective organisation may have already achieved.
UK SWIMSCHOOL MARKET
- SwimSchools can be a one-person operation or a large business employing several swimming teachers; teach 200 or 10,000 pupils; specialise in Learn to Swim, Baby Swimming, Adult Swimming or Special Needs.
- The markets that Swim Schools operate cover a wide and diverse sector ranging from local School Pools (Private Sector & LEA), Local Authority facilities, Hotels, Private Health and Fitness Clubs, Holiday Sites (UK and Europe), Universities and Privately owned and managed Pools.
- There is currently no National Register for SwimSchools
- Currently no national guidelines exist to ensure that UK Swim Schools –
- Operate adequate levels of pool supervision and safety
- Employ staff that are all appropriately screened through the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
- Train and assess staff on a continuous basis
- Operate correct safety policies and procedures
- Have all the appropriate levels of insurance in place
The STAmark addresses all of these issues as part of its external validation process.
